1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope treatment tool insertion-extraction system for automatically inserting and extracting a treatment tool, such as a forceps, a catheter, or a high frequency knife, that is inserted into a body cavity through a forceps channel of an endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when a treatment tool such as a forceps is inserted into a body cavity through a forceps channel of an endoscope, an operator inserts it into the forceps channel while holding the treatment tool in his/her own hand. For example, since the total length of an endoscope for use with the colon can be as long as 2 m, an endoscope provided with an insertion-extraction apparatus that inserts and extracts a treatment tool that is inserted from the treatment tool insertion opening of the endoscope has been proposed, in order to reduce the labor of the treatment tool insertion operation (for example, refer to FIG. 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. S57-117823).
Moreover, an insertion-extraction apparatus that houses and retains a plurality of treatment tools in individual housing sections has also been proposed (for example, refer to FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-207).